russia and the caucasus chapter 16. physical geography continents of europe and asia meet at the...
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Russia and the Caucasus
Chapter 16
Physical Geography
Continents of Europe and Asia meet at the Ural mountains
Europe to the westAsia to the eastTogether they form the landmass of
Eurasia
Physical Geography
Russia is the world’s largest country◦Twice the size of the USA
South of Russia is a region know as the Caucasus◦It lies in the Caucasus, the area between the
Black Sea and the Caspian Sea◦Region is named for the Caucasus mountains◦Includes three smaller countries
Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan
Landforms
Russia’s capitol, Moscow, is located in the Northern European Plain, which stretches across western or European Russia
To the east are the low-lying Ural Mountains
Siberia, the vast area between the Urals and the Pacific Ocean◦Includes marshy West Siberian Plain, the
Central Siberian Plateau, and mountain ranges
Landforms
Eastern Siberia is part of the Ring of FireCaucasus countries consist mainly of
rugged uplands and mountainsSouth of the Caucasus Mountains is a
plateauLowlands lie along the Black and Caspian
Seas
Rivers
Volga River◦Located in western Russia◦Longest river in Europe◦Core of Russia’s river network
Ob, Yenisy, and Lena rivers in Asia part of Russia◦Flow northward to the Arctic Ocean
Lakes
Russia has about 200,000 lakesLake Baikal, in south-central Siberia, is the
world’s deepest lake◦Deep enough to hold all the water in all five of
the Great Lakes◦Called the Jewel of Siberia◦http://youtu.be/6PFujpcq8lg
Seas
Black and Caspian Seas border Russia and the Caucasus
Black Sea connects to the Mediterranean Sea and is important for trade
Caspian Sea holds salt water and is the world’s largest inland sea
Climate
Russia has short summers and long snowy winters due in part to its location along the Arctic Circle
Russia’s northern coast is tundra◦Much of the ground is
permafrost, or permanently frozen soil
◦Only small plants such as mosses grow there
Climate and Plant Life
Taiga, a vast forest of evergreen trees, covers about half of Russia
South of the Taiga is a flat grassland called the steppe◦Rich black soil and a warmer climate make this
an important farming areaCaucasus countries are warmer than
Russia◦Warm and wet along the Black Sea◦Hot and dry in much of Azerbaijan
Natural Resources
Fertile soil in the Northern European Plain and steppe
Wood from taiga for building and paper products
Metals and precious gems
Energy Resources
CoalHydroelectricityNatural gasOil
Russian and Azerbaijan have large oil and gas fields
Resource Management
Poorly managed for a long timeMany remaining resources are only in
remote Siberia
Russian Empire
The Russian empire grew under powerful leaders, but unrest and war led to its end
The Slavs settled in Eastern Europe, including what is now Ukraine and western Russia
Russian Empire
Slavs developed towns and began trading with other areas
AD 800s – Viking, or Rus, traders from Scandinavia invaded the Slavs
Shaped the first Russian state, Kievan Rus, centered around the city of Kiev
Russian Empire
Missionaries introduced the Orthodox Christian faith and Cyrillic, a form of the Greek alphabet
http://youtu.be/H2a2tOXRJ3cIn the 1200s Mongol invaders called Tatars
came from Central Asia and conquered Kiev◦Allowed Russian princes to rule over local
states◦Muscovy became the strongest state
Empire
After about 200 years Muscovy’s prince, Ivan III seized control from the Mongols
In the 1540s Ivan IV crowned himself a czar, or emperor, and became known as Ivan the Terrible for his cruel leadership
http://youtu.be/CMqmQ-C5N6Y
Over time Muscovy developed into the country of Russia
Empire
Strong czars built Russia into a huge empire and world power
Russia remained largely a country of poor farmers, while the czars and nobles had most of the wealth and power
In the early 1900s Russians began demanding improvements and unrest grew
World War One
Russia entered WWI in 1914◦Suffered huge losses and severe food shortages
When the czar seemed to ignore the people’s hardship, they rose up against him
The czar was forced to give up his throne in 1917
Russian Revolution
Later that year the Bolsheviks, a radical Russian Communist group, seized power in the Russian Revolution
Russian Revolution
In 1922 the Bolsheviks formed a new country the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), or the Soviet Union
Soon included 15 republics, the strongest of which was Russia
First leader was Vladimir Lenin
Soviet Union: Communist Superpower
Soviet Union led by Lenin became a communist country
Josef Stalin took power after Lenin’s death Command economy, in which the
government owns all businesses and farms and makes all decisions, was established
Josef Stalin
Stalin was a brutal and paranoid dictator and punished anyone who spoke out about the government◦Millions were sent to gulags, harsh Soviet labor
camps◦http://youtu.be/a6y2CTxbtL0
Cold War
During World War II the Soviet Union fought with the Allies
Stalin set up communist governments in Eastern Europe
Opposition between the Soviet Union and the United States led to the Cold War
Collapse of the Soviet Union
In the 1980s Mikhail Gorbachev began introducing some democracy to help save the Soviet economy
In 1991 the Soviet Union collapsed and broke into 15 independent countries, including Russia
People and Religion
Population: more than 140 millionAbout 80 percent are ethnic RussiansRevival of religious worship after the fall of
the Soviet governmentMain faith is Russian Orthodox ChristianOther religions include Islam, Buddism,
and other forms of Christianity
Customs
Russian history has shaped its customsReligious holidays are popularNew Year’s Eve is the main family holidayJune 12 is Russian Independence Day, the
day marking the end of the Soviet Union
Arts
Russia’s ballet companies are world famous
Peter Tchaikovsky is Russia’s most famous composer
Art and Culture
Faberge eggs, made of precious metals and covered in gems, are priceless works of art
Starting in 1885, the Faberge egg became an Easter tradition in the Romanov family,each year, becoming ever larger and more elaborate.
Science
Major contributions to space research, including the first artificial satellite in space, launched in 1957
Government
Russian leaders have struggled to change from communism to democracy
The Russian Federation is a federal republic, a system in which power is divided between national and local governments
Government
Increased democracy has led to more freedoms for Russians
Problems such as government corruption, or dishonesty, have slowed the government of a free society in Russia
Economy
Russia is moving toward a market economy, based on free trade and competition
The Russian government has greatly reduced its control of the economy
Service industries now make up the largest part of the economy
Exports
Russia produces and exports◦Oil◦Natural gas◦Timber◦Metals◦Chemicals◦And crops
City Life
About 75 percent of all Russians live in cities
Most live in small apartments in high rise buildings
Cities have large parks and wooded areas around them
Wide variety of restaurants and shopping
Rural Life
About 25 percent of all Russians live in rural areas
Many live in housesMany richer Russians own dachas, or
country houses
Culture Regions
Russia has 6 main culture regions◦Differ in features such as population, natural
resources, and economic activityFour western culture regions make up
Russia’s heartland◦Home to the majority of Russia’s people, the
country’s capital, and largest cities◦Most productive farming area
Western Culture Regions
Moscow Region◦Russia’s capital and largest city◦Center of government is housed at the Kremlin◦Most important economic area◦Transportation center
Western Culture Regions
St. Petersburg Region◦St. Petersburg was once the capital city and
home to the czars◦Many theatres and museums add to the culture
of the city◦Its location on the Gulf of Finland has made it a
major port and trade center
Western Culture Regions
Volga Region◦Volga River is a major shipping route◦Dams along its route form lakes and provide
hydroelectric power◦Factories produce oil and gas◦Caspian Sea provides sturgeon and black
caviar, a costly delicacy
Western Culture Regions
Urals Region◦Important mining region◦Produce nearly every major mineral◦Smelters, factories that process metal ores,
process copper and iron◦Also known for gems and semiprecious stones
Siberia
Siberia means “Sleeping Land” in Tatar language
Winters are long and severeRemote region with many valuable, but
difficult to access, resourcesMain industries are lumber, mining, and
oil productionWages are high, but few people choose to
live there
Siberia
Cities tend to follow the Trans-Siberian Railroad, the world’s longest single rail line
It runs from Moscow to Vladivostok
http://youtu.be/gQjls3EWyok
Russian Far East
Long coastline region along the Pacific
Land is heavily forested In the few cities, factories
process forest and mineral resources
Farming in the Amur River Valley City of Vladivostok is a naval
base and the area’s main seaport
Islands off the coast provide oil, minerals, and commercial fishing
Russia’s Challenges
Russia’s shift to a market economy has brought problems◦Prices and unemployment
have risen◦Gap between rich and
poor has widenedPopulation is falling-
more Russian’s are dying than are being born
Russia’s Challenges
Russian government did little to prevent pollution◦Environment has been severely harmed◦Governments must repair damage
Ethnic conflicts have resulted in fighting and terrorism◦One of the worst conflicts is in Chechnya in the
Caucasus Mountains
The Caucasus
http://youtu.be/EZsgzOI08d8
The Caucasus
Located where Europe blends to Asia, the Caucasus reflect a range of cultural influences◦Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Turks, and
Mongols have all ruled or invaded the areaRussia took control of the area in the early
1800s
The Caucasus
After World War I Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia gained independence-but not for long
By the early 1920s they were part of the vast Soviet Union
Finally in 1991 the Caucasus republics achieved true independence when the Soviet Union fell
The Caucasus Today
The Caucasus region has a long history but its countries do not
Young countries◦Have had to create new governments and
economies since the fall of the Soviet Union◦Ethnic unrest and conflicts have slowed
progress
The Caucasus Today
Caucasus republics have similar governments◦An elected president governs each nation◦An appointed prime minister runs each
government◦An elected parliament, or legislature, makes
the laws
Georgia
Lies in the Caucasus Mountains east of the Black Sea
About 70 percent are ethnic Georgians and most belong to the Georgian Orthodox Church
Struggles with unrest and civil war and ethnic conflict
Economy based on services, farming, and mining
Armenia
Small, landlocked country south of Georgia
Almost all the people are ethnic Armenian and most people belong to the Armenian Orthodox Church
Fought bitter territorial war with Azerbaijan in the 1990s, and issues remained unsettled as of the early 2000s
Diamond processing is a growing industry
Azerbaijan
East of ArmeniaAbout 90 percent are
Azeri and most are MuslimMany refugees as a result
of its conflict with ArmeniaEconomy based on oil,
found along and under the Caspian Sea
Corruption is high and many people are poor
Visual Summary